Two Athlone councillors yet to declare election intentions

Two of the seven county councillors in Athlone have not yet declared whether they will be contesting the upcoming local elections on May 24.

When contacted by the Westmeath Independent last week, both Cllr Paul Hogan and Cllr Ailish McManus said they had not yet reached a decision in relation to the election.
Cllr McManus said she would be making her decision this week, while Cllr Hogan said he expected to make an announcement "in the first week in April".
Cllr Hogan was elected to Athlone Town Council in 2004, at the age of 21, and he has been a local councillor ever since.
He was a Sinn Féin representative up to last year, when he quit the party, citing allegations of bullying.
On Thursday last he said he had a difficult decision to make on whether or not he would put his name on the ballot.
It's been rumoured that, if he runs, Cllr Hogan could align himself with Minister of State Kevin 'Boxer' Moran's Independent Alliance grouping.
"It's no secret that I have been in discussions with 'Boxer' and with other parties," he said. "But the main question is whether or not I will run."
He said he had to weigh up his work and study commitments before deciding whether to commit to seeking another five-year term on the council.
"If I was to run I wouldn't want to do a 'half-job' on it. I'd want to know that I could give it the time it requires," he commented.
Cllr McManus is the deputy principal of St Mary's National School in Athlone and was nominated to fill the county council seat vacated by 'Boxer' Moran after he was elected to the Dáil in 2016.